New pilot to prove the Hokey Cokey really is what it's all about

This article was published as a 'spoof' health story to mark April Fools' Day.

A new UK health intervention strategy will see doctors encouraged to prescribe 10 minute sessions of the classic childhood game the 'hokey cokey' for young people at risk of obesity.

In a bid to tackle the nation's increasing obesity epidemic, this 'back to basics' initiative will be especially focussed on children, but health experts delivering this scheme are intending to target other 'at risk' sections of our population, including the overweight elderly who are 'young at heart.'

A digital marketing campaign, using high profile social media channel Facebook encouraging users to swap 'Hokey Cokey Pokeys' and special 'Shake it all about' twitter flashmobs are also in the pipeline.

Other childhood games such as musical chairs and hopscotch will be additional activities recommended in this pilot, which could roll out into mass organised adult 'playtimes' in parks, fitness clubs and community centres.

This March an extensive public health report published in The Lancet concluded that Britain is "persistently and significantly" lagging behind the EU and other global powers and found that factors such as obesity, alcohol, a lack of exercise and bad diet were still among the leading causes of illness in this country, despite millions being spent on public health campaigns.